Raheem Sterling has made his thoughts on a return to Liverpool perfectly clear in the past amid his impending exit from Chelsea.
The 29-year-old has been shown the door by Blues boss Enzo Maresca and is now on the hunt for a fresh start following a lacklustre stint at Stamford Bridge. Reports this week have suggested he has been offered to Aston Villa as he bids to find a new club.
There will be no shortage of suitors for the England star, although his former club Liverpool probably won’t be among them. Sterling played for the Reds for five years before his controversial £49million switch to Manchester City in 2015.
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However, Sterling appears to have always held a candle for his former club, having previously said that the club remains “in my heart.”
Despite the Reds not making any moves in the transfer window so far, and showing no interest in their ex-star at the moment, Sterling’s previous eagerness for an Anfield comeback could set the stage for a sensational return – although the Reds seem more keen on snapping up young talent and a fresh midfielder at the moment, as per the Mirror.
According to The Athletic, Sterling was all set up for a Liverpool reunion in 2022, but when that didn’t materialise, he ended up at Chelsea instead. In a revealing 2020 Instagram chat, Sterling also got fans talking with his comments about the possibility of returning to Liverpool.
“Would I ever go back to Liverpool? To be honest with you, I love Liverpool,” he said. “Don’t get it twisted, they are always in my heart, do you know what I mean? It’s a team that (has) done a lot for me growing up.”
(Image: Getty)
Though the prospect currently seems slim due to the controversial nature of Sterling’s departure from Liverpool and the star’s likely wage demands, the Merseyside club’s faltering chase for Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon reveals Arne Slot’s eagerness to add bodies up-front.
Sterling has been frozen out at Chelsea after Maresca banished him from training. The fallout occurred after he was dropped from the squad to face Manchester City at the weekend which was then followed by Sterling’s camp releasing a bombshell statement in response.
According to Maresca, the former Man City man is no longer in his thoughts as he prefers a certain style of winger. With Sterling’s future at Chelsea now all but at an end, he is being linked with a host of clubs including European giants such as Juventus and PSG.